As the Executive Director for Strong Women, Strong Girls (SWSG) in Boston, I am lucky to meet hundreds of local strong women each year. About a year and a half ago, I stumbled across one of my favorites: Kristen Parsons, who is an officer of Corporate Communications at State Street, and a Boston Advisory Council Member for SWSG.
Kristen and I were grabbing a cup of coffee when she told  me how she had advocated for our program within her company and convinced a group of other strong women to adopt SWSG as a partner for their charity efforts. For the past year and a half, State Street Corporation has been a strong partner of SWSG Boston.
Kristen has proven again and again what it means to be a strong woman who is making a difference in her community.  Native to Boston, Kristen has joined SWSG as a member of our local Advisory Council and a Leadership Coach to one of SWSG’s college mentors from Northeastern University.  In addition to her time, editing expertise, and “can do” attitude, Kristen always finds a way to help meet the organization’s needs. I know that when I send out an email asking for help, Kristen is quick to respond with what she, State Street, and even her personal network can do to help advance our work on behalf of Boston’s girls.
Recently, Kristen’s generosity and spirit were officially recognized when she received State Street’s 2012 Chairman’s Award for Exceptional Volunteerism. With this award, State Street and Kristen are helping raise awareness of SWSG’s work among their constituents. SWSG is also a recipient of a grant from the State Street Foundation which will be used to help advance the work of the cause Kristen works so tirelessly for: ensuring that low-income girls in Boston can achieve their dreams.
Thank you Kristen and to State Street for your partnership. Kristen, we are proud to count you among the strong women that fuel our efforts to make sure all of Boston’s girls can be strong and proud!
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Amy Kingman is the Executive Director for SWSG Boston. Amy started her involvement with SWSG as a volunteer Leadership Coach in 2011. She currently serves on the steering committee of Women in Nonprofits, the Women of Excellence host committee for Youth Villages, and is a volunteer with Adoption and Foster Care Mentoring.